The plastics and other industries are reliant upon the use of catalysts comprising very low stability fluids, such as organic peroxides. For example, some fluid catalysts, such as methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, which may be combined with polyester resins for producing plastic articles and/or plastic coatings on articles, have a tendency if mechanically shocked or exposed to heat or friction, to react or decompose instantaneously in an explosive manner. Because of the high volume, mass production techniques requisite to the economics of the industry, large quantities of these low stability fluids have had to be maintained under pressure for continuous supply to the production equipment, such as spray guns, pouring heads, etc.
The customary prior art technique used to supply the required quantities of low stability fluid was to deliver the fluid from a pressurized tank containing, for example, one or more gallons of such fluid under air pressure. 2 and 5 gallon pressure tanks have been conventional. However, it is potentially dangerous to have that large a quantity of low stability fluid under pressure in one container since, should a mishap occur, the entire quantity reacts violently and explosively.
A further danger inherent in the pressure tank system resides in the potential for contamination of the fluid, because the fluid must be transferred from supply containers, such as 1 gallon plastic bottles, into the pressure tank under working conditions that are generally far from clean and sanitary. Also, the fluid is in contact with and frequently becomes mixed with the pressurizing air which is another source of contamination. Such contamination creates another opportunity for violently explosive reaction of the fluid due to the extremely rapid oxidation of the contaminant and the generation thereby of a self-sustaining explosive reaction of all of the fluid in the tank.